Apparatus for transmitting and recording messages



H. AND A. WARMICK.

APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING AND RECORDING MESSAGES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1. 1918.

lz'ltcntwl $0M. 2, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

INVENTOR flrm/n/ ATTORNEY WITNESS H. AND A. WARMICK.

APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING AND RECORDING MESSAGES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. I. I918.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

j rE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY WARMICK AND ANNETTA WARMICK, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNORS0F ONE-THIRD T0 JOSEPH FORD AND STANLEY BARNETT, BOTH OF GRAND RAPIDS,

MICHIGAN.

'APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING AND RECORDING MESSAGES.

To all whom it may concem 7 Be it knownthat we, HENRY WARMIGK andANNE'I'IA WARMICK, both citizens of the United States, and residents ofGrand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for- Transmitting andRecording Messages; and we do hereby declare that thef ollow1ng 1s afull, clear, and exact description thereof.

Our invention relates to new and useful improvements in, apparatus fortransmltting messages through the medium of electrical impulses.

It is-primarily the object of our -1nvention vto provide an apparatusassociated with a station printing medhanism operable for either sendingor receiving actuating impulses over the line wires of the telephonesystem.

With the above and other objects and advantages, in view, which will beapparent as the description proceeds, our invention resides in the novelfeatures ofconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts ashereinafter described anddefined by the ap ended claims. I

n the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a, diagrammatic view of our improved apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a' digrammatic view of the printing telegraph mechanisms.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the printing mechanism on a planeindicated by the line 3-43 of Fig. 2.

Referring now more particularl to the accompanying drawings, B and.-desig Specification of Letters Patent.

nates each of a pair of subscribers stations connected with the centralstation by pairs of line wires 10 in which are disposed plugs 11 at acentral station A whereby the subscribers stations may be placed incircuit with each other or with other stations in the system, in theusual manner, a suitable source of energy such as the batteries 12 beingdisposed in the line circuit as shown in Fig. 2. Each of the subscribersstations includes a telephone set D anda cabinet inclosed printingmechanism E disposed in parallel in the line circuit and thus operatingimpulses may be transmitted over the circuit either from one telephoneset to the other, or from one printing mechanism to the other, inaccordance with the nature of the messa e and the conditions involved.The printmg mechanisms are identical in Patented Sept. 2, 1919. 7

Application filed November 1, 1918. Serial No. 260,700.

nature and hence but a single mechanism will be specifically described.

Each of the printing mechanisms preferably embodies a conventionaltypewriter structure and is adapted to print letters and figures. Whileeach typewriter mechanism will include a sufficient complement ofcharacter elements, for the sake of clarity I hav\ shown but fourcharacter elments 20 carried by type-levers 21 mounted on a pivot bar 22and adapted to impinge against paper trained about a conventional platen23. For actuating the type levers, a plurality of key bars 24 aremounted on a shaft 25 extending under the type bars, and are providedthereadjacent with upstanding fingers 26 engageable with lateral pins 27on the lower ends of the type levers. The remote ends of the key barsare provided with upstanding key posts 28 which are manually engageableto rock the bars and impart prlnting impulses to the type levers 21. Al

though not shown, certain of the key bars 24 may also actuateconventional line spacing and gear shift mechanisms so as to pro curethe necessary movements .of the plated in transmitting a message ofconsiderable len h. H

ounted q'verthe set of type bars, which -'are resiliently ur ed toinitial position by springs 29, is a s aft 30 which has clutchconnection 31 with a conventionall shown abutment 36 on the key bar. Apin 37 extends laterally from each radial projection and saidprojections are mutually spaced circumferentially of the disks wherebyupon movement of the shaft and disks toward the I key bar,-only one ofsaid radial projections may engage 1ts key bar abutment. The shaft 1 30is mounted on a swinging frame including journal arms 38 pivoted on astationary shaft 39, and the frame is normally held in raised positionby a retractile spring 40 securedto one of said arms and to a suitablesupport above the arm, upward movement of o the frame being limited by astationary abut-- ment member 41.

We provide an escapement action for the rotary actuatorformed by theshaft and disks, whereby upon escapement movement of the shaftcorresponding electrical im-- pulses w1ll be transmitted over the linecircuit to control th rotary actuator of another printing. mechanism.Thus, an escapement lever 42 is pivoted at 43 above the rotary 35"actuator and has its lower end bifurcated to embrace a ratchet wheel 44mounted on the shaft 30 and having a number of teeth corresponding tothe numberof key bars. One ofthe furcations ofthis lever is adapted toabut'the teeth and the other furcation has its free endinwardly directedto engage the .teeth whereby upon rocking movement of the lever theshaft is permitted intermittent rotati've impulses under the influenceof the sprmg motor 32. The lever is" resiliently urged to rocking-movement in one direction by a-spring 45, :and it is moved against theaction of this spring by a magnet 46-having 1ts armature 47 secured tothe lever. One: of the line wires 10 is connected with the magnet 46,and the other. line wire is connected with ,a spring finger 48 whichco-acts with a stationary finger 49 connected by a wire 50withthe-.magnet 46. The spring finger 48 is normally urged by itsresiliency away from the finger 49, and it is moved into engagement withthe stationary finger by contact successively with circumferentialprojectlons 51 on a wheel 52- mounted on the number-to the number of keybars.

Thus an electrically operated esca ement action is provided, and theescapement imshaft 30, the projections 51 corresponding inpulses aretransmitted over the line Wire whereby the escapement movements of therotary actuator of another subscriber sta-- tion may be synchronizedtherewith. A switch 53 is provided for short circuiting the contacts 48and 49 whereby to render the escapement mechanism inactive with respectto the transmisslon of impulses over the line clrcult.

A shaft 54 extends transversely of the bank of key bars 24, andpivotally mounted I a spring contact finger 56 engageable with thelateral pin 37 of the correspondingdisk 34 and adapted to be urged bysuch engagement against a stationary contact finger 57 carried by thearm, thisengagement occurring upon depressing action of one of the keybars, whereby to close a circuit through said contacts and whereby atthe same time to stop the rotary actuator with the corre sponding radialprojection 35 over the abutment 36 of the actuated key bar. One of thecontacts of the lever 55 is connected by a wire 58 ,with one of the linewires, while its other contact is connected by a wire 59 with a set ofbatteries 60 which are in turnconnected with a switch 61'from whichwires 62 and 63 extend respectively to anactuating depressing magnet 64and to-one of the line wires. This magnet 64 is also connected by a linewire 64? with the other line wire 10, and is adapted to attract anarmature 65 carried by the rocking frame of the rotary actuator. Wires66and 67 of thetelephone-set D are connected withthe line wires 10 inadvance of the various magnet and switch connections, and thus uponopening both the switches 53 and 61, a conventional telephone circuitsystem is procured. Y

Each printing mechanism is adapted to either send or receive messages.Taking up now the correlative operation of the printing mechanisms, andassuming that the mechanism'of the subscribers'station is sending andthe mechanism of the station C is receiving, it isnoted that to adapt astation for sending, the switch 53 is opened and the switch 61 isclosed, while to adapt a sta tion for receiving, the switch 53 is closedand the switch 61 is opened. As soon as the central operator closes thecircuit connecting the two stations, the esca ement mechanism of thestation B will come active, to procure rapid. intermittent rotareason ofclosing the switch 53 across the contacts of the escapement. Tracing thecircuit in this actuation, it is noted that current passes from one ofthe line wires 10 through the magnet 46, the wire 50, and theintermittently engaged contacts 48 and 49 of one station to the otherline Wire 10, and from thence through the switch 53 of the receivingstation and the wire 50 and magnet 46 to the other line wire. A circuitis also open through the magnet 64, but the current supplied through theline circuit is not of suificient strength to attract the armature 65 ofthe swinging frame. By this operation, the corresponding radialprojections 35 of the rotary actuators of the two stations aresimultaneously placed in opposition to their type bars 24.

When the operator depresses one of the key bars 24, the contact arm ofthe lever 55 will be swung into the path of the corresponding pin 37, tostop said pin and projection over the type bar abutment 36, and at thesame time to stop a projection 35 of the actuatorof the other station inopposition to the corresponding type bar,

by reason of halting the escapement operation. 'At the same time, thecontacts 56 and 57 will be brought together and increased current willbe thrown in the circuit of the magwts 64 of the two stations,

to procure su cient energization of said ma 'ets to depress the rotaryactuators by roc ing the swinging frames thereof. This depressingmovement of the actuator of the receiving station C actuates theselected type bar to impart a printing stroke to the type lever 21. Theactuator of the sending station B merely moves idly downward.

An exceedingly simple printing telegraph mechanism has thus beenprovided in conjunction with a telegraph system, whereby either verbalor printed communications may be transmitted so that, should'it not bepossible for a person to answer the phone, or should the nature of themessage transmitted be secret, the message may be printed out, beingthus unintelligible to a party listening in on a line circuit.

To insure correspondence of the relative positions of the printingmechanisms of the various stations, each operator at the termination ofa printed message depresses a previously agreed upon key, which is thesame in each instance and may constitute any one of the ordinary keys ofthe mechanism, halting the actuator in a common rest position for allthe mechanisms and then closes the switch 53 whereby subsequentrelations of the escapement mechanism will be in correspondence with theescapement mechanism of another station.

The magnet 33 of each printing mechanism, which controls the motorclutch 31, is bridged. across the line wires, and thus upon completionof a line circuit between a pair of printing mechanisms, the clutches ofboth mechanisms will be actuated to procure driving impulses of therotary actuator shafts.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus of the class described in cluding a pair of printingmechanisms, each mechanism including a series of movable type actuatinators mounte adjacent the series of bars and provided with radialprojections each adapted to move a corresponding bar, means forprocuring synchronized intermittent r0- tative movements of theactuators, and means operable upon moving a printing bar of onemechanism for shiftlng the actuator of the other mechanism to engage itsradial projection with and move a corresponding.

magnet, a circuit connecting the magnets,

means in said circuit operable selectively by each escapement mechanismfor transmitting escapement impulses over the circuit to the otherescapement mechanism, and means operable upon moving a printing bar ofone printing mechanism for shifting the actuator of the other rintingmechanism to engage its radial pro ection with and move a correspondingbar of -the other printing mechamsm.

v3. An apparatus of the class described including a pair ofprinting'mechanisms, each mechanism including a series of movable typeactuating bars, shifta'ble rotary actuators mounted adjacent the seriesof bars and provided with radial projections each adapted to move acorresponding bar, means for procuring synchronized intermittentrotative movements of the actuators, magnets controlling shiftingmovement of the actuators, and means operable upon moving a printing barof one mechamsm for energizing said shifting magnets of both mechanisms.

4. An apparatus of the class described including a pair of printingmechanisms,

each mechanism including a series of movthe actuators, stop members eachmovable upon movement of a corresponding type actuating bar-to engageand stop the rotary actuator of said bars, a switch carried. by eachstop member and closed upon such engagement, and a circuit includingsaid switches and magnets.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing We have hereunto set our handsat Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent, and State of Michigan.

. HENRY WARMICK.

ANNETTA WARMIGK.

